16 May »
Reviews »
Cory
At one point or another almost everyone who is serious about mountain biking has run a Deore rear derailleur on their bike. They’re neither glamourous nor are they outstanding performers. They are, however, relatively cheap and work well enough to make it through the day.
This review takes you through a year on a Deore-equipped bike and, hopefully, gives you a decent idea about the capabilities (and limitations) of the derailleur. Read the rest of this entry »
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9 May »
Reviews »
Cory
For years, Thomson has sat at the forefront of the market when it comes to stems and seatposts for mountain bikes. The Elite stem further entrenches Thomson as one of the leading manufacturers in this part of the industry. With the Elite, the company created a classy looking, top-quality component for riders looking to make a lasting upgrade to their bike. Read the rest of this entry »
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9 May »
Reviews »
Cory
With the Deus line, Race Face has stepped up and introduced a bunch of high quality components that are reasonably priced. Taken as a group, the Deus XC cranks, bar, and stem would not look out of place on the bikes of any of the top cross country racers.
On its own the Deus XC LR handlebar is a top performer and a recommended upgraded for competitive riders looking to shave weight or replace an aging handlebar. Read the rest of this entry »
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IMBA has just announced that it has reached an agreement with the National Park Service to open certain areas in the national park system to the mountain biking public.
While this announcement doesn’t smash down the walls that have kept cyclists from the singletrack in the parks — it makes it possible for people to ride on the access roads in the parks — it does open the door for future partnerships between local cycling organizations and the parks around them.
Under the terms of the agreement, IMBA will provide technical support for interested ‘National Park units’ to improve their understanding of the demands made by mountain bikes. Additionally, the agreement calls for the creation of two pilot projects (to be announced later in 2005) that undoubtedly will lay the groundwork for future plans in US National Parks.
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Recently, there have been rumours floating around the internet about a new Santa Cruz VPP bike, which looks poised to slide into the slot currently filled by the venerable Bullit.
The best article I’ve found on the Nomad to date is found on BikeMagic.com. Based on the images that I’ve seen, this bike looks as though it will be a great all round ride; it’s burly enough to take decent hits and looks svelte enough to deal with climbs (even if not at race pace). I don’t have the geometry data on hand but, with the Fox 36, the head angle looks sufficiently slack to be good for real all mountain riding (ie. for hitting everything on the mountain and not just for technical cross country riding).
Complaints about the ‘hump’ aren’t really valid in my books; to me this frame, more than the others that use a similar head-tube area design, is a mix between classic retro curves and cutting edge industrial design. In short, the frame looks sharp and I’d be on one in a heartbeat.
More images of the Santa Cruz Nomad
Update (8 September 2005) : Sorry for the late update on this one, but you can view the official specs on the Santa Cruz Nomad on the Santa Cruz website.
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